21 February 2008

OK, let's look busy or something....







From the Soldier side: So, you want me to get on with my last story...ok.


Mission Al Asad, Part 3. You may recall we were waiting up late for a raid. We weren't going out on the job, but waiting for any customers they brought back in that needed a "chat". This was supposed to be one of the biggest raids since the battle of Fallujah. They had a lot of assets involved in this...we were supposed to get very busy in a day or so.... hundreds of customers.


By midnight we realized that nothing was happening, so we went to bed. No reason to waste sleep time when you had nothing to do but wait....any grunt knows the law: "Never stand when you can sit, and if you're sitting, you might was well lay down and take a nap." So off to bed we went...
The next morning came and I got up and walked over to the operations office...no word yet on how many "customers" they were bringing in...so, I asked my guys if they wanted to eat the cold chow out of the cans, or take a 2 mile walk to the nice KBR mess hall. My#3 asked if I could bring back a plate for him. I told him: "If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the damn messhall."
We took the 2 mile walk. It was good PT...2 miles there and 2 miles back. It was good walkin' weather...not yet hot, not raining, not a sand storm...just good walkin' weather.

I enjoyed that breakfast...but, I cannot recall what the heck I ate...but the coffee was good. We walked back to the Ops Center and still no word on how many customers. So, my #3 and I decided to look around the little camp and see what was there. I found this old MIG engine that I was sure I could get mounted on a Humvee...it looked like it would lite up and all...just needed some straps and a fuel system. We kept looking for parts.
By noon we had the "customers" showing up... more than 5, less than 10. That was it? I could handle that by myself. But, the Marines we were there to help said they could do it...they'd call if they had anyone "difficult" or anything. They did have one knuckelhead...I had a "chat" with him and he changed his ways. (I was always legal in everything I did, I just had a way.)

......So, sorry if you thought there was going to be a big exciting ending...but that's what we had to work with...
Next story--- I get to change "jobs".

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

(I was always legal in everything I did, I just had a way.)

of this I have absolutely NO DOUBT. You and I need to head out one June night and decorate someone's lawn for Christmas...make a mental note.

Anonymous said...

"but the coffee was good."
I'm with you on that one...I'd walk 4 miles for a good cup of coffffeee too...even if they didn't have whipped cream like Starbucks.

So how did your Mighumvee run?